My first handpainted yarn! (please pardon the general out-of-focus not-true-to-color crappiness of the photo. I attribute it to the serious lack of sunshine available to take photos in natural light.)
I love this yarn! Two skeins of worsted weight in Navy Blue, Colonial Blue and Lavender, dyes from Pro Chem. I have dyed a lot, and I mean A LOT of fabric -- hundreds of yards! I have dyed fleece to card into rovings. I have been enchanted by all of it, but never never never have I been so in love with a handyed item as I am with this yarn.
I was surprised how easy it was to handpaint yarn. I think "handpaint" must have been a little intimidating to me, given that I have no drawing/painting skills other than to paint backgrounds into a canvas.
First, soak the yarn in a solution of citric acid and Synthropol. The Synthropol scours the yarn, and the citric acid is the chemical to activate the dye. Then, mix the dyes up, first with a little hot water to dissolve the powder and then the balance with regular tap water. Lay out the yarn, and paint it in any pattern you choose. I divided the yarn into six sections and used each color of dye twice. This gives me a longer section of color for more of a striping effect when I knit it up, as opposed to a more variegated effect. Wrap it up in plastic, steam in for 30 minutes, and hang it up to dry. And th-th-th that's all folks!
It is truly, to dye for!
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